


Sisterdragonwithfeathers' Rexsoka Week 2020

by sisterdragonwithfeathers



Category: Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:09:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26705020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisterdragonwithfeathers/pseuds/sisterdragonwithfeathers
Summary: This is where I will be posting everything I write for Rexsoka week 2020 (and any accompanying fanart). I'm uber late, but I'll still finish every prompt. At some point...Most of these will probably be based in my AUs.
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 8
Kudos: 48





	1. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today's drabble is set in my MER!Rexsoka AU. In this universe, Ahsoka is a selkie-like mer whose home world is a green, Irish/Scottish coast type planet. The 501st is stationed here almost permanently, as a sort of home base. Rex and Ahsoka met when Rex almost drowned and Ahsoka helped pull him to shore. He's kept in contact, but is reluctant to let any of his brothers or his General (still Anakin) know, so they meet up fairly secretly. Rex's newfound fear of the sea is constantly in tension with his draw to Ahsoka.  
> The boys have a lot more opportunity to act like civilians while off-duty, and have to dress more casually, too, to foster trust with the natives. (so maybe they all, including Rex, get to act a little more like young adults than they get to in canon)

The cliffs had become a haven to Rex. Ever since his breakdown at the beach, he hadn't managed the nerve to return to the water.

Ahsoka seemed to sense it. The first day he came back, drawn as inexorably as ever to the cove, she came to him. By instinct, he averted his eyes, though she assured him she was modest. Her cloak and skirt trailed all the way to the gravel. It was the first thing he had seen as he crouched gasping on the shore.

The cliffs were peaceful. Close enough to hear the sea, and far enough for there to be grass and soil and solid stone beneath his boots.

Ahsoka would sit beside him, bare feet swinging off the edge and they would talk, just like they used to in the cove. Up here though, with the seabirds and the wind whipping through the grass and stones, it became more often that they were silent. Neither of them seemed to mind. To Rex at least, if it was just them and the wind and the grasses, alone, together, he felt he could be content.

* * *

Today there had been more silence than speech. The wind had picked up, and they sat by an outcropping of rocks to move away from the worst of it. Thin-winged birds soared and wobbled their way over the waves.

"What do you hope for, Rex?" Ahsoka asked, suddenly, her eyes on the horizon.

"Hope?" Rex huffed a breath and rolled his shoulders. "The life I've got is as good as any of us clones can get. What's there to _hope for_?"

Waves crashed below them, louder and higher for the wind. Rex suppressed a shiver.

Determined not to be caught staring (again), but hoping to distract himself, Rex pointedly kept his eyes away from the Togruta at his side and instead focused on the long, wispy train of her skirt blowing in the wind. White and blue striped, just like her montrals and tailfins...

Ahsoka finally broke the silence again. "There is _nothing_ you hope for? Nothing you wish will happen, whether it's possible or not?"

Rex furrowed his brow. "Well," he leaned back against the rock, crossing his arms. "I suppose 'winning the war' is starting to become a hope."

Ahsoka cocked her head.

_Oh, right, explanation._ "You know, If we're defining 'hope' by 'might or might not be possible'," he elaborated.

Ahsoka nodded and looked back to the waves. "It feels odd to talk about war here," she mused. Her gaze drifted upward and she huffed a laugh. "That must sound foolish to you. I'm sitting next to a soldier and saying the war seems far away."

"Understandable." Rex said. "This place," he gestured to their surroundings, then rested his hand on the cold stones emerging from the grass, "almost makes me forget sometimes. Being here," he turned his gaze toward her, "with-" the words caught in his throat. "-with my brothers," he finished hurriedly, trying to ignore the fact that that didn't make complete sense, and looked back out over the water. " _with you_ " had nearly slipped off his tongue as naturally as "good morning".

The rising waves made his stomach churn, so he allowed his gaze to turn back to her, fully this time, imprinting her image on his mind. Ahsoka's brow markings were furrowed, stretching the diamond on her forehead, and her dark, full lips were pursed. Her eyes darted slightly. After several moments, her expression smoothed out. "I suppose it says a lot about the peace here that it could distract a soldier from the war." She turned her head to smile at him.

Caught off guard by her direct gaze, Rex awkwardly smiled back. He quickly looked away again, but he could still see her in his mind's eye, a soft smile now gracing the fresh, sharpened image. "It's... hard to imagine the war coming here," he murmured, distractedly.

Ahsoka shook her head. "I wish it was harder. Separatists did come here, before the Republic sent your battalion. A couple envoys, no more." She gave a grim smile. "Ill-chosen." She shook her head. "They tried intimidation. Master Koon and I sent back a grim reply."

Rex blinked, torn between the captivating image of Ahsoka as a warrior and the alarm of connecting her with the dangers of a battlefield, with which he was all too well acquainted. When he had said the war coming was "hard to imagine", he hadn't been referring to a lack of ability to picture the results.

A touch on his arm pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked down, to see her hand against his arm. Even through his sleeve, her hand was cool to the touch, like the sea. He met her eyes, a bright blue that felt as if the sky looked back at him. She smiled. "Perhaps we share a hope: that someday all worlds may be as peaceful as this one is now."

He smiled in return, this time maintaining his gaze. "That is something I could hope for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still the same day if I haven't gone to bed yet! This was fun. I bet I'll be using this AU for more than one of my drabbles this week.


	2. War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess this fits into my mostly-works-with-canon-til-post-Rebels Future!AU, though really it just kinda stands by itself (and a little bit apart from canon). Don't @ me if you don't think it's at least probable they still have some sort of force-bond after Shattered. Don't even.

Ahsoka couldn't sleep. It was force-only-knew what time of night, and there was nothing doing.

Although, she might not welcome sleep even if it came. Her dreams had been far from pleasant.

With every last iota of datawork on her holopad finished and filed, and nothing left to prepare for her trip the next day, Ahsoka eventually made her way to the makeshift mess, and slowly poured herself a cup of caf. They had kept one pot going for the night shift guards.

The cup was already nearly empty before she reached her quarters. Not even bothering to close the door behind her, she dropped onto a short bench along her wall, drained the last few drops of her caff, and gazed quietly down at the warm mug in her hands.

Three quiet knocks interrupted her brooding. Ahsoka looked up from her empty cup, eyebrow markings rising as she recognized the dim figure in her doorway. "Rex? What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," Rex said softly. "Something in my bones." He tapped his leg, a subtle sign of uncertainty, and shifted on his feet. The whites of his eyes flashed in the dim light. "Had a hunch it might be you."

Ahsoka tilted her head slightly. "The force-bond?"

Rex shifted again. "I suspect."

Ahsoka sighed. "I should have guessed that." She set the empty cup aside and glanced at him. "Sorry to keep you up."

Rex simply shrugged and leaned against the doorframe.

Silence overtook them, apart from the faint hum of life from distant machinery. Nothing but the sparse night watch stirred on the base at this hour.

"Y'know, I've been thinking," Rex finally broke the quiet, "maybe you should lay off on some of these missions of yours. Try something...safer." He stepped inside slowly, and took a seat on the identical bench across from her. His gaze remained on the floor.

"It's a job, Rex. Not much else on the market for ex-Jedi." Ahsoka smiled, attempting to lighten the somber mood. A moment later, she sobered slightly. "Besides, you should know safety and I have never been well acquainted."

Rex crossed his arms and glanced up. He returned her smile by half, but didn't speak. 

Ahsoka watched his expression darken, worry tugging at his features. Even after so many years apart, she remembered too well his pensive posture. "What's on your mind, Rex?"

Rex slowly raised his gaze. "I lost you once the first war," he began slowly. "If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer not to loose you for good in the second."

Ahsoka let her next breath out slowly. She had long since learned to act as though she didn't feel the pangs of memory, but here, with Rex, it was hardly necessary. "It was only for a little while, Rex," she deflected anyway, half out of habit.

"All the same." Rex leaned toward her, resting his arms on his knees. Ahsoka met his eyes and mirrored his posture, regarding without a flinch the snap of their force-bond in such proximity.

"Back to the here and now," Rex glanced down, but did not move back, "what's different tonight? I haven't seen you this off-put before a mission since you were...well, a lot less experienced." Perhaps the ghost of a smile raised one side of his mustache.

* * *

Ahsoka closed her eyes for a minute, breathing deep and slow, like Obi-Wan (and, to a lesser degree, Anakin) had taught her.

Rex stayed silent. He knew not to interrupt; she would answer in time. As much as Rex sometimes missed his young Commander's more playful spirit, he was not so shallow that he couldn't admire her calmer, womanly maturity.

When Ahsoka's eyes finally opened again, she still seemed uneasy. "I have a feeling this will be more than just an intelligence-gathering mission. It's Jedi business, and," she dragged a hand across her face, sitting back, "I've been having visions."

Rex gazed at her across the lengthened distance. "What kind?" He almost dreaded asking.

"The kind that can make one fearful." She leaned forward again, resting her head in one hand. "Afraid and...angry."

This close, Rex could just make out her clenched jaw and pursed lips in the dim light. "I think," Rex began, reaching out slowly, "we both know you're stronger than that." He took her free hand in his and squeezed it.

Ahsoka dipped her head, but made no move to pull away. "Am I? I'm no Jedi."

"You're as wise as any of the Masters I ever met," Rex replied truthfully.

Ahsoka sighed.

Rex peered at her across the short distance. It was hard to make out in this light, but...was she crying? Tightness rose in his chest.

* * *

Ahsoka focused on regulating her breathing, surprised at the tears suddenly threatening to fall.

"I don't know how much it counts for, but," Rex paused, as if uncertain.

Ahsoka listened expectantly, blinking moisture from her eyes.

"We're- I'm still here, Commander."

Ahsoka allowed herself a smile at that. "I know." She pulled herself to her feet and turned to settle beside him. She gave his hand a squeeze before letting go to fold her hands. "Thank you."

* * *

Rex straightened as Ahsoka moved to sit beside him. He almost shivered as she squeezed his hand. The air felt very cold when she let go. Shaking his head, he concentrated on remembering why he was here.

"Just..." Ahsoka started again.

Rex tilted his head, waiting for her to continue. The pause dragged on. "Just, what?"

Ahsoka sighed. "Try and still be here when I get back."

Rex slid his arm behind her and squeezed her shoulder. "Ahsoka, as long as you're _planning_ on coming back, I'll stay as long as I have to."

Ahsoka leaned against his side. "I know." Her hand came up to rest on his, and she glanced up at him, a ghost of a smile gracing her features. "Thank you, Rex."

Rex pushed back against the urge to plant a kiss on her forehead. _Not the time, old-timer._ "Anytime," he said instead. And he meant it.


	3. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Direct continuation from the last chapter. I wanted to get it out faster, and I figured the end of it fit day three's prompt well enough.  
> It fits "secret" because... their secret from each other is out of the bag now, and at this point it's likely to stay a secret between them (especially because she's about to disappear on Malachor for an unknown amount of time but shhhh...)

Ahsoka leaned into Rex's side, as content as she could be with his assurances. Not for the first time, she thanked the stars the force had brought him back to her.

The way he was looking at her now, his arm around her shoulders and his hand under hers- Ahsoka found herself feeling, not for the first time, the urge to kiss him. The experience no longer shocked her as it had the day he came back, when she could feel the force swell, and the distant glow which had kept her hopes alive all these years grew into a warm, bright presence so close and warm she couldn't help but want it _closer_. The galaxy had become such a cold place. But she brushed it aside again, as she had grown used to doing, and tried simply to enjoy the warmth of their proximity, both physically and in the force.

Shadows of her visions danced across her closed eyelids. Visions of red and of pain (past or future?) of crackling darkness and bright light. And many stars...

She opened her eyes again, allowing the spiking dread to fade back into a dull ache. "Rex?" she said.

"Mhm?" he hummed back. And she found that she could _feel_ the vibrations of his voice in her montrals this close to him.

She looked up at him, as if to say something, then furrowed her own brow. What had she been planning to say? She gazed at him. _Had_ she even been planning on saying anything to him? she thought, as she began to lean closer. She might have been imaging it, but it seemed that Rex leaned closer, too. They were mere inches away when she realized what she was doing. Quickly, she ducked her head.

Judging from Rex's movements, she had only just missed hitting him in the face with her montrals.

"Sorry, I- wasn't, thinking," she murmured, closing her eyes for a moment. They snapped open again, though, as she felt a stab of disappointment from Rex.

"Well," he muttered over her head, " _I_ thought you were going to kiss me." There was no mistaking the disappointment in his tone.

Ahsoka started, and leaned back to look at him. Even in the dim light, she saw him pale when she met his gaze, as if he had only just realized he spoke his thought aloud.

"Oh." She paused, her thoughts awhirl, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly through her nose. "You were making it more than ordinarily difficult not to," she finished calmly. No point not laying her cards on the table now.

Rex didn't respond for a moment.

Then his free hand closed around hers. "I wasn't going to say anything, but now that you mention it..."

Ahsoka looked up at him again.

"S'pose I've been hoping to make that more difficult," Rex trailed off into a mutter.

* * *

Ahsoka shifted in Rex's arms. He forced himself to look at her again, half expecting her to be pulling away. But no, she was _closer_ , and the hand that wasn't holding his had moved up to his shoulder-

Heat crept up his neck and down from the tips of his ears.

Ahsoka cocked her head slightly. "You've certainly succeeded."

"Only half-way," he leaned forward and gave her a light, lingering headbutt, "so far."

Ahsoka chortled, and Rex smiled. "Would you like a kiss, Rex?"

"If it's yours."

" _Ours,_ " she replied, as they came together.

The kiss was light, and brief, an admission more than anything. They broke away before either was breathless. Ahsoka nuzzled his cheek as they parted, and he in turn pressed their foreheads together again, her hand on his cheek, his on her back headtail.

* * *

Ahsoka chuckled, her lekku swaying.

"What? What's so funny?" Rex murmured, a bit disoriented.

"I just thought," Ahsoka smiled, "of how scandalous this looks."

"Scandalous?" Rex questioned, slowly catching up.

"Well, you are in _my quarters_ ," Ahsoka pointed out, with something that was not-quite a smirk. "Quite late- or rather, quite _early_..." She quirked an eyebrow at him, which she had to lean back a bit for him to properly see, given that neither of them had moved very far. " **Some** people," she continued, "might make some rather presumptuous assumptions just from those two facts alone." By this point her expression had evolved into a true smirk.

Rex, finally on the same page, did chuckle at that.

"Well," Rex's eyes crinkled with amusement. "We know better."

Ahsoka smiled. "True."

"And we're not exactly duty-bound to report this to anyone, now, are we?"

"No, we're not," Ahsoka began, before her smile wavered. "Especially since I'm leaving at first light."

The mirth faded from Rex's eyes so quickly, Ahsoka almost regretted saying it.

Rex sighed, resigned. He tugged her toward him one last time, and she willingly went into his embrace, already aching for the effortless joy they had shared mere moments before.

"Just try and come back," he murmured, so close she could feel his rough voice rumbling through her montrals.

"I will," she murmured back, and held him tight.

_May the force be with us both._


	4. Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in a random AU where the war is still going on when Rex and Ahsoka are around their CW season 7 ages (and also a couple of people are alive though it's kinda just implied in a throwaway line whoops) and Bly realizes Rex and Ahsoka are more than friends before Rex does so he's gotta help his brother decipher the complicated female mind.

“So, how are _things_ going?” Bly slid in next to him, drink in hand, and nodded toward Ahsoka.

Rex furrowed his brow and glanced at Commander Tano, then back at Bly. _Is he drunk?_ “What ‘ _things_ ’ are you talking about?”

“You and the Commander.” Bly gestured as if the connection was obvious. “It was clear ages ago. I’m surprised you’ve done so well hiding it. Not even your men seem to know.”

“Know what?” Rex frowned.

“Y’know, of you and Commander Tano’s...” Bly trailed off and gestured again, “Ah... _involvement_.”

Rex’s ears colored. “What are you implying, Bly?” he demanded.

His brother blinked at him. “Implying? You’re the one constantly flirting with her.”

“I’ve done no such thing!”

Bly’s look of surprise was so exaggerated as to be almost comical, and gave further credence to Rex’s suspicion that his fellow Officer was at least a little drunk.

“You can’t just... _ **not know**_ you’re flirting with her,” Bly breathed, aghast. “You two, the both of you, are so obvious...”

If his own honor (and, quite frankly, position) weren’t in such jeopardy, Rex might have laughed at his brother’s antics. As it was, Rex was in no mood for humor. He countenance darkened. “That is you and your General, brother. Not Commander Tano and I.”

Bly shook his head again, appearing much more serious. “Not how it works brother.” He set down his drink and leaned toward Rex. “Tano is not treating you like a friend, Captain, and neither are you treating her as one.”

Rex practically choked. “I have never, and would never, treat Commander Tano like a-”

“A floozy girl?” Bly interrupted with a grin. He waved the thought off. “Of course you haven’t. But that’s not what love means to them.”

“Them?”

Bly raised an eyebrow. “You learn things when you have a cyare, brother. One of which is: females have completely different standards of affection than even nat-born males.” He leaned back, both eyebrows now raised. “Tell me you haven’t talked about the war with her. _Really_ talked, not just battle plans or propaganda.”

Rex’s eyes widened slightly.

If Bly noticed, he didn’t show it, instead continuing on, “And how she acts around you, like being close is the most natural thing in the galaxy.” He leaned against the bar. “Females keep a certain distance, a sort of professional bubble we don’t get to cross. You, Captain, are inside of it. Pay attention, she doesn’t stand that close to any other man.”

Rex was speechless. He took a moment to contain his thoughts (it was really more like cramming them all into a supply closet and shoving it shut, but that didn’t matter right now), then leveled the best glare he could muster at Bly. “Commander Ahsoka Tano and I have a strictly professional relationship.” He narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps something of a friendship, but nothing more,” he finished sternly.

Bly shook his head. “Your loss, Rex. It’ll sneak up on you sooner or later.” He turned and took another sip of his drink. “Don’t blame me when it does.”

Rex grunted noncommittally and turned away. But maybe he did glance over at “Commander Ahsoka Tano”, and observe how much distance she was keeping between herself and Fives and Hardcase. Maybe he did go over in his head how many times they talked about more than the war.

Or maybe he didn’t, he told himself, as he shoved those thoughts away into the same supply closet in his head, and locked it.

It may come back to haunt him later, but he didn’t have to deal with it today.


End file.
